Lily's Valentines
by Slytherclaw96
Summary: Severus and Lily hope to avoid Potter and Black, but Potter manages to send a seemingly harmless box of chocolates and another present comes for Evans - who could have sent that? For Valentine's Day Happens Year-Round Challenge on HPFC.


**Disclaimer:** Don't own, never have, never will.

**For the challenge **Valentine's Day Happens Year-Round** on HPFC.**

**Summery: **Severus and Lily hope to avoid Potter and Black during the 14th of February of their fourth year, but can't avoid an owl Potter sends bearing not-so-ordinary chocolates.

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**_At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet._**

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Severus Snape made sure no one was looking before he sneaked down to the Herbology greenhouses in the cold January wind. Everyone else was at Hogsmeade and now was the perfect time to do it. Professor Grass turned as he shut the door behind him.

"Ah, Snape, yes, what did you want to ask me?" she asked, putting away the fertiliser she had been feeding a Venomous Tentacula.

He blushed deep scarlet. He hadn't realised how stupid the idea was before he was asked to say it aloud "Well," he began, "I—er, wanted to send a fri—a girl a flower. You know, for Valentine's Day." He looked at his feet as Professor Grass smiled understandingly. A little too understandingly, Severus thought.

"Of course," she said, tugging her gloves off. "What sort of flower were you thinking of sending?"

He told her of his idea. Her smile grew. "She'll find it spectacular, Severus."

Severus didn't know how red he could turn until Professor Grass, of all people, called him by his first name. "Thanks," he said.

"Well, we'd better get started," said Professor Grass in a way that reminded Severus of McGonagall.

He took off his cloak and started. Oh, how he hated Herbology.

**143**

"What'd you think Snivellus is doing?" asked Sirius one day in late January as they left the greenhouses. Snape was now hanging back almost every lesson and more than once Sirius had caught him running down there; James and Sirius hadn't even seen Snape in Hogsmeade.

"Maybe he wants to send Grass a Valentine," said James loudly, smirking as Snape passed them. "Only girl who'll have him!" Snape hurried faster.

James and Sirius started to laugh, Peter joining in.

"Hey, Moony, what's wrong?" asked James, his smile disappearing as he noticed Remus was even paler and quieter than usual.

"You're a bloody deep sleeper," Sirius told James, shaking his head.

Remus turned pink but Sirius continued.

"You've got awful nightmares, you know," he said conversationally.

James looked ahead, ashamed for having to ask. The moon cycle was starting to become second nature to them but he never managed to memorise it.

Remus gave Sirius a dirty look. "You'll have them, too, if this mad plan of yours ever works."

"We just need to find the right book," said Sirius smoothly.

"Hey, send McGonagall a Valentine," Peter suggested excitedly. "Then ask her how to become an Animagus."

"That'll never work," snapped Remus. "She's too strict. She'll die of a heart attack first."

"Serenade her," James snorted. "That'll be better."

Sirius turned red. "You do it, then—Remus? You go and ask her: innocent, little, pitiable wolfen Gryffindor? She'll tell you."

"For the last time, I'm not helping you!" he almost shouted. "If you succeed then good, you can come, if not, then boo-hoo, nothing lost there."

"What're you doing for Valentine's Day?" asked Sirius, turning to James. "Huh? Jamie, you in there?"

"Huh? Don't call me 'Jamie'," said James on reflex, tearing his eyes from Evans, who was following Snape. His ears reddened. "I dunno yet."

**143**

January faded into February and the snow began to melt into a slush that covered every surface. That included the Charms classrooms, too, since the Marauders had decided to conjure Everlasting Snow, but that didn't stop the white fluff from melting into a slippery mess.

Severus was still spending much time in the Greenhouse and could even be spotted in the library without any of his Slytherin mates or the little redheaded Gryffindor, much to the suspicions of Potter and Black.

Lily arrived every day for breakfast getting more and more uneasy. Sometimes it was hard to decide whether Potter fancied her or hated her. Severus preferred the latter. Last year at Valentine's he sent one of the Hogwarts house-elves as a serenading card. This year, who knew what he would do.

On the morning of the fourteenth, Severus got to the Great Hall earlier than usual and found Potter and Black huddled at the far table in deep discussion. Still planning? Severus frowned. Maybe Potter wasn't going to do anything.

Lily didn't turn up as the students trickled in slowly from their dormitories. Severus picked up a stack of toast in a napkin and left. He knew she'd be somewhere outside: she loved the lake, and there she was, sitting on the banks in a small, grassy circle she had no doubt fixed with her wand.

She turned as he sat beside her. She muttered a spell and the circle grew wider. The grass was as warm as it was in summer. Lily smiled and looked at the toast.

"Help yourself," said Severus, placing the napkin in front of them.

She took a piece and said, "Were the Daft Duo still in there?"

"Waiting for you, I expect," said Severus. There was no doubt in his mind who Lily was referring to. "You'll be assaulted by half a dozen elves in the corridor."

"Yeah," sighed Lily. "At least I get a decent morning before lessons, though." She took another slice of toast.

Severus groaned. "Potter sent something."

Lily rolled her eyes as the owl descended. It carried a large, dark red, heart-shaped box that looked suspiciously like chocolates. A card was on top; Severus snatched it before Lily could reach.

"Ahem," he coughed dramatically. _"To my lovely Evans. Your eyes are green as the spell of killing. Your hair red as leaping flames. I wish you were mine. You're really divine. I'd like the key back to my heart. James._"

Then more words appeared, written in a much messier style.

_That took James three months to compose_

_- Sirius_

Severus was very proud that he managed to get through it without laughing, but promptly burst into hysterical laughter at the new words.

"Shut up!" said Lily, hitting him with the chocolate box, its large purple satin bow not hurting very much.

A second later, Severus did, having a large amount of icy, half-melted snow land on his face. Coughing and spluttering, Severus sat up. "Chocolates?" he asked, smirking.

"He should be a little more creative," said Lily as she opened the box and sniffed. "What do you think, Sev? How fast could you make an antidote to a Love Potion?"

Still stifling laughs, Severus tried to wipe the cold slush off him but only succeeding in getting half of it down his robes and the other half down his spine. "Five minutes," he said. "You stumbling about, proclaiming your undying love for Potter is the hardest part," said Severus, grinning as Lily paled slightly. "Although, on second thought, maybe I'd leave you—"

"Oh, shut up!" snapped Lily, but she was smiling now, too. "You deserved that snow."

Severus sighed and pulled out a small bottle from under his cloak, filled to the stoppered-top with a bright pink potion. "Antidote. Made it last night. Should be strong enough for anything—legal or illegal—that Potter's managed to get a hold of."

Lily took another look at the chocolates, silently debating. Severus smirked. She loved chocolate, she always did. "Oh, all right, you can test your antidote-making skills on me," she said, slightly grumpily.

She picked up a dark one with white icing that was in the shape of a deer—no, stag; the antlers were just visible. For the life of him, Severus couldn't figure out why: he could understand doves, swans or any other lovey-dovey thing Potter could dream up—but a _stag?_ Lily was eyeing it as though it had done her a great personal injury before suddenly taking a bite and staring at the ground, looking like she was waiting for something in her to explode.

"You aren't going to die—" began Severus but felt as though an ice cube had slipped into his stomach.

Her eyes were glazed over. "Snivellus, you think you could get me to introduce—"

He didn't hear anymore but with shaking hands he spiked a piece of toast and said in a thick voice, "Sure, I'll get James, but you need your strength." He shoved it under her nose.

"Good thinking. I see you _are_ good for something," she said with painful surprise in her voice. She took a bite and her eyes grew wide before a horrified expression crossed her face. "Oh, Sev, I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I'd never use that name, you know that."

Severus nodded, softened by the mortified look on her face. "That's fine. I wouldn't suggest you eat the rest." He looked at the box: each chocolate looked like it was hand-decorated (not very well) with either a stag or a deer. What was with Potter?

Severus picked up the card again, intending to reread the poem, but saw another line of handwriting, this one much neater.

_It's Amortentia. Sorry, Evans, but James nicked some from the seventh-year potions storage room. Slughorn has loads. Only the first three columns from the left are spiked. James ran out._

Severus had an idea who wrote it, even though it wasn't signed. "You want to test the right side?" asked Severus.

"What? No!"

He handed her the card. She snorted.

"You think Remus would warn me beforehand," she said scathingly before ripping the card in half, then quarters. Lupin. There was something odd about him; Severus would never know how he ended up with the Despicable Duo, particularly when he was great friends with Lily on the side. "Sure," she said at last. "You have more of that antidote?"

"Yep." Severus showed her the half-emptied bottle. "One more test."

She took a deep breath and picked one from the farthest right, eating it in one bite. She threw the remainder of the Love Potion-spiked one into the lake. Lily then stared at the ground, waiting and waiting, but nothing came.

"I think these are safe," she said cautiously. "That leaves nineteen between us, if you'd like to risk it," she added, smirking.

Severus took one and said, "Oh, well, I was rather hoping Potter had awful taste. Unfortunately not."

They spent another half hour at the lake's side, finishing off the toast and the chocolates they deemed safe before heading back to the castle. Seventh years were having meetings with their Head of House and classes would start late. Severus disappeared for a few minutes to send a letter before returning to Lily and outside in the slushy beauty, because, after the fact you got over the cold, wet, squishy layer over the thawing ground, the dripping trees and slowly blossoming trees that some sixth years were practising Charms on it all enhanced the splendour of Hogwarts grounds.

"Oh no, not again!" cried Lily as another owl landed in front of them as they sat by the lake again. She untied the small box and shook it but no sound came from it. Lily untied the small red ribbon and took the card, her eyes widening with every word before she placed it down as though it were a wounded animal.

The card was face-up, its carefully scripted writing easily legible.

_Do you never know, since long ago, how much I love you?  
That my love will never lessen and never go?  
Maybe we are young, then, proud, fresh-hearted and eyes gazing ahead,  
Maybe, then, you are too young to know.  
__But one day, one day far from now, you shall hear my unsaid._

There was no signature.

Lily gingerly took out whatever was in the box; her eyes looked as though they might pop out. Sitting perfectly in her palm was a large white and orange-specked lily flower, its petals draping over her fingers. "I doubt Potter sent this," she breathed in shock.

Lily didn't notice Severus was determinedly staring in the other direction, his ears brighter than her hair.

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**Deepest apologies. I don't know squat about gardening, and I really think that a lily takes longer than a month to grow but this **is **Hogwarts, magic in the air and all that.**


End file.
